Check valve



July'l6, 19 29. T, XFO 1.721,:353

CHECK VALVE Filed Feb. 18, 1928 m'uem coz Patented July 16, 1929.

- UNITED STATE PATENT omen.

JOHN T. oxrom), or moae'alwon nonrn canomumassreiv'on'or ONE-HALF. TO,w. 'r. BERRY, or MORGANTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

CHECK VALVE.

' Application filed February 18, 1Q 28. Serial 'No. 255,320.

This invention relates to valves, and more particularly check valves,

Check valves, as commonlyconstructed, are of two general types, namelythose emplaying a swinging gate, and those employing a freely movableball.

Each of these types has its advantages and disadvantages, and thegeneral object of the present invention is to provide a check valve of acombined type having the advantages of both. ,In other words, theinvention seeks to provide a valve comprising a ball or spherical memberwhich, instead of being free, as usual, is mounted to swing toward andfrom its seat.-

More specific. objects of the invention are:

to so support the swingingball that it is capable of both rotation onthe axis of support and bodily movement alon such axis, whereby the ballmay readily ad ust itself to its'seat, and also whereby a constantlychang 'ing surface is presented to the'seat. Still other objects are toprovideimpro'ved means for manually adjusting the ball relative to itsseat and to so design the valve casing that the ball may be readilyinserted and removed therefrom.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference is hadto the accomg panying drawing forming part ofthis specification, and inwhich:

' Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved check valve; r Fig. 2 is avertical, longitudinal section through the same, substantially on theline 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a slightly modifiedarrangement;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail on an en- LO larged scale showing the,adjusting means;

and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a slightly modified form ofvalve. Referring to the drawings in detail, my i5 improved valve casingpreferably consists of a T-shaped hollow casting 1 resembling a standardpipe fitting. -,This casting comprises the main or body portion 2 andbranch portion 3. Viewed another way, the casing comprises a cylindricalmember 2 having a .lateral opening surrounded by an annular flange 3.The end of this flange or branch and also the ends of the main portionof the casting are provided with standard pipethreads, as illustrated.On the inside of the main or body portion of the casting at a pointnearits junction with the branch, isan annular rib or shoulder 4, and thatedge of such rib adjacent the branch opening is machined or beveled asindicated at 5 to form a valve seat. ,It will be noted that this valveseat/is somewhat'smaller in diameter than the interior bore of the mainportion of the casting so thata tool or'reamer may be inserted throughthe end of the casting for the purpose of machining the valve seat.. Y 1

Arranged to cooperatewith the seat 5 is a valve in theform of a ball or.sphere'6. This is supportedupon arod'or stem 7 having at one end a heador enlargement 8 on which the ball rests. It-will be notedthat theopening -in the ball through .which the rod 7 passes is slightlylargerthan the rod, so that the ball is. free to turn and also free toslide, on $7 the-rod .orstem. In this ,way the ball can adjust itselftothe valve, seat and make a tight seal, even though it may not-bepositioned quite accurately. Furthermore, by virtue of its free rotationon thestem, the ball constantly presents a different surface forengagement with the valve seat.

' The upper end of the rod or stem 7 is pivotally attached'to an eye .9having a screw threaded shank 10 which passes through and is threaded inacap 11 screwed over the end of the branch 3. Cooperating with the "edgeof this cap is a lock nut 12, and it will be seen that by turning thecap '11 the ver; tical position of the ball may be adjusted, and that itmay be held in adjusted position by screwing the nut 12 up against thecap.

. A lock nut 13 is threaded over the other end of the shank 10,.asshown, and the extreme end. of this shank is provided with a kerf' 10(see Fig. 4), capable of receiving a screw driver. This constitutes anadditional adjusting meansfor the valve. A washerl l may be employedunderneath the locknut 13, as shown.

It will be noted that the shank 10 of the eye 9 is set into the cap 11at apoint to one side of'the center thereof. This is desirable in orderthat the point of support of the valve'stem may be brought as nearly aspossible vertically over the seat 5, so that said after being adjusted,I-preferably place on such cap a mark in'the shape of anarrow, asindicated at 15 in Fig. 1, the head of the arrow pointing in thedirection in which fluid is discharged from the valve casing, or, inother words, in the direction of flow. In order to drain sediment orforeign matter from the valve casing, I may provide a pet cock, such asshown at 16 in Fig. 2, or instead, an ordinary plug, as indicated at 17in Fig. 3.

' From the foregoing it will be understood that ill assembling theparts, the stem 7 is attached to the eye 9, and this set into the cap11. The ball is then lowered through the interior of the branch 3 intothe main passageway, and the cap 11 is tllrneduntil the ball is atapproximately the proper height, the cap being finally stopped andlocked, however, in a position in which the arrow 15 is disposedlongitudinally of the valve casing, as shown in Fig. 1. This constitutesthe rough adjustment. The final, fine adjustment is accomplished byinserting a screw driver in the kerf 10 of .the threaded shank 10 and,the lock nut 13 being loosened, turning the shank 10' so as to raise orlower the ballexactly to the required extent. The lock nut is thentightened, and the valve is ready for operation.

While I havereferred to the valve as a ""ball, it will of course beobvious that it need not in all cases, be a complete sphere.

large size, in order block 18 having a curved portion 6consistco-operate with the seat 5. This type of construction may bepreferable in valves of to save weight and material.

' 1. A check valve comprising a casing having a seat, a ballvalve, andmeans for su-s pending said ball so that itmay swing freely laterallytoward and away from said seat,

said means including a rod on which said ball is slidably mounted.

2 -A check valve comprising a casing having a seat, a ball valve, andmeans for sus- 3. A check valve comprising a casing having an openingsurrounded by an annular Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, I may employ a ing ofa segment of a sphere, and adapted to What I claim is upstanding flange,a cap screwed over the 1 end of said flange, sald casing also having avalve seat therein, a ball valve adapted to engage said seat andfreelysuspended from said cap, whereby the height of said 'ball relativeto said seat maybe adjusted by turning said cap, and additional means.for adjusting the height of said ball.

4. A check valve comprising a casing having a seat, a valve memberhaving at least a portion o'f its surfaceo'f spherical form, and

means for suspending said valve member so that itmay swing eelylaterally toward and away from said seat, said meansincluding a rod onwhich said valve member is slidably mounted.

In testimony whereof. I aflix my signature.

- JOHN T. OXFORD.

